Reborn Container
by thelonelylovechild
Summary: She was reborn as Uzumaki Kushina. Future jinchuuriki of Kurama, Uzumaki heiress, wife of Minato, and mother to the protangonist. Kushina who died when Tobito attacked. Kushina who was one of the last of her people. Honestly the worst luck. SI Insert.
1. Jinchuuriki's Body?

She had been conceived on the tenth of July. It had been a long birth full of painful contractions and worried immediate family. She was named Shizo even if it was for a small amount of time.

Now usually this wouldn't be a problem, she actually found the name (that had been changed) nice and becoming. Parents, no matter who they were, named their children all the time.

You see the issue was of so many levels, different levels in fact. It wasn't her parents that bugged her. In fact she already liked them. It was the alarming fact that these people weren't her FIRST SET OF PARENTS! She didn't care how open-minded she was, it was still crazy and strange.

And yes, you heard her right. Parent set number two. Completely different people from before, not that she thought they were a bad set of parents and her first pair deserted her but still! It was the principle of the fact.

The first thing she noticed was red. Bright burning red just...floating there. And not that awkward ginger color either that paled or brightened depending on the light exposure. It was like a hemoglobin red, the color of fresh from the vein blood. It clouded her vision and she was fascinated by it's vibrancy because a color like that just wasn't natural. So like any slightly dazed fuzzy minded person would do she reached out and grabbed hold of it.

Now the issue wasn't her figuring out it was hair. No, it was her catching sight of her hand. Her now smaller hand, her now miniature hand. The hand of an infant. For a moment all she could do was stare with a blank mind until common sense caught up and told her to panic. So she did and she screamed. Loudly might she add.

Now she was sure that scream would have been much more alarming if it hadn't come out in the form of wet gurgled sounding high pitched squeaks but whatever. She paused her nervous fit when a slim hand slid over her cheeks.

Opening eyes she didn't realize were closed she was met with a now blurry unfamiliar landscape. Okay she was officially confused.

The last thing she remembered was bright flashing lights and pain. She had been shot, she was sure of it! Some wanna be asshole thief had brilliantly decided to rob the bank she had on a whim decided to visit. She could have gone to her bank but it was farther away and she had been hard pressed for time. If she had known she would have been killed she wouldn't have bothered filling her student Visa!

A long story short, the guy didn't have a plan, she got chosen as the hostage probably because she was the only ash haired half gaijin in the middle of Japan, and got shot in the process.

But none of that explained her predicament. Was this heaven? She wasn't a horrible person but she doubted she was angelic enough to make it. Had she suddenly regressed to an infant or sent back in time. But then the woman holding her wouldn't be a red head, she would be a brunette. So that left her with another plausible yet seemingly impossible option. One she didn't want to consider.

Rebirth.

The only way to get a new body was through reincarnation right? She had been reborn? Thank whoever she had a rather loose religion and thought anything after death was a possibility or she would have just died a second time this time from shock. And that wasn't to say she wasn't frozen by fear and uncertainty because she was. Horribly, cripplingly so.

"Look at her Mizo, a beautiful baby girl just for us." A soft sounding female voice cooed dragging her from her slightly dismal thoughts, a pure kind of happiness coating her tone.

Baby? Us? Were they were her new "parents" then?

"Just like you Hasagi-sama." Another female voice piped as a few others hummed in agreement.

"Do you want to hold her Mizo?" The woman Hisagi, her new mom (a very awkward thought) asked even as she already pressed her smaller body into another persons arms.

Turning her head she locked onto a hovering tanned face with red hair and indistinguishable features that were painstakingly coming into view. Same bright hair and light eyes. But for the time being that was all she could focus. Her dad was a handsome guy.

"She seems very attentive." Mizo hummed standing.

"Of course our little Shizo is smart! After she is my child!" Hisagi exclaimed as she was left to wonder why she was named in Japanese? They looked European, unless they were half and took after the possible American side more.

"So she's not mine anymore?" Mizo raised an eyebrow.

"Not if you're gonna doubt her!"

"Now, now little Shizo-sama is pretty intelligent for a baby." The other female voice placated.

"Shizo?" The man asked, tone distasteful. For the first time registering the name used to address his child.

"What? I kind of like the sound of it. Uzumaki Shizo. It's catchy." Hisagi pouted but she wasn't paying attention anymore.

Almost immediately she had zoned out. No her mind was set on two things. One being the surname and the silver plated piece of metal that was fashioned onto cloth and wrapped around Mizo's forehead that had finally faded into view.

All at once every thing inside of her protested. She recognized both of them, hell every manga fan worth their salt knew what they were. A haiate-ate and the name of a clan.

She would have been a little relieved after having fully identified something familiar but there were a few problems.

Now if the fact that she had some how been REINCARNATED and cheated DEATH-she was so sure some final destination crap was going to happen-didn't phase her (and it did) then the fact that her last name was Uzumaki did it in for her. On this one it wasn't actually the name she had a bone to pick with but the alarming stigma it carried with it.

But it wasn't just the familiarity of it. No, that could have been merely coincidence. It was the giant stitched orange circle, a spiral, on the back of nearly every persons yukata she had seen so far that clued her that it was indeed the same Uzumaki she thought it was. Not to mention it was all over the walls and blankets.

Any relief she felt died when she realized that this was neither a very skilled cosplay nor was she crazy, but this was indeed Naruto-verse. And shit if Naruto didn't have some fucked up sub plots and antagonists! Conspiracies everywhere you turn! This wasn't good for her health!

On their hiate-ate wasn't the familiar symbol she was used to, it wasn't a leaf. She was born somewhere else where she wasn't guaranteed any survival. In Uzushiogakure. The Whirlpool country. Pretty gruesome things happened to clans in other places.

Like all the bloodline purges and wars and that did happen to the Uzumaki. She didn't even know if she had chakra let alone if her family could fight or if they were sideliners.

She was screwed, honestly had the worst luck.

The only possible bright side was that she wasn't plot centric so she could easily slip out of the scene. She didn't even know anyone named Shizo. So she was either good or this Shizo died in the purge. Shit. Wait, she didn't know when she was. She could be still be in the safe zone. If they weren't warring then maybe she was in the clear.

"Are we really naming her Shizo?" Her new father asked, tone skeptical. Immediately she felt her calm fade at that foreboding question.

Yes name me Shizo. She would rather be a faceless character than a doomed main.

"Well it was either that or my other choice." Hisagi shrugged.

No other choice! SHIIIZOOO!

"Which was?"

Goddamnit woman! Don't ruin this for me!

"Kushina. Uzumaki Kushina."

'No!' she screamed internally as she could physically feel heart just shatter in her chest along with her dreams.

Why?

"I definitely like that better than Shizo." He laughed.

I bet you do a-hole.

"Welcome to the world Kushina." Her mother cheered like she hadn't just damned her only child.

It was horrible. She wasn't just a main, she was the main.

She was reborn as Kushina. Future jinchuuriki of Kurama, Uzumaki heiress, wife of Minato, and mother to the main protagonist. Kushina who died when Tobito attacked. Kushina who was the last of her people. Honestly the absolute worst of luck. At least she knew when she was and knew she was going to see her clan murdered.

After her parents declaration she was promptly breast fed (oh god) and put to rest.

Sparingly people had come to see her when she was a couple of weeks of age and even though she had the mind of a twenty eight year old Japanese linguist teacher in this small body of hers it didn't change the fact that she was a baby. And babies needed sleep to grow.

Though when she was awake she made sure to pay the utmost attention to her surroundings.

After a grueling year of denying everything she had come to terms with her situation. If it wasn't the inhuman way her parents used the patented Naruto-verse jutsu, the authentic Jounin vests and weaponry around the house, or the blatant Uzumaki traits that confirmed everything then it was all the chakra she sensed. It was-different and difficult to discern.

The air around them was saturated in it but so spread apart she could sense right by it. It was like water in your eyes, if you squint you can see right past it.

Now actual chakra in bodies was different. It was concentrated to a single organism and noticeable if her parents weren't hiding it.

Chakra in people had a feeling and it carried a personality. Her father's was large and calm but tended to spike. It was like a hug but not quite. Something like a protective wall.

Her mothers was expressive and very volatile. It churned and pitched to it's own tempo and felt safe and like home. It clicked with her own and Kushina often fell asleep to the sensation of her mother's chakra pattern.

Now her own chakra she couldn't sense but she could feel it move through her coils and to pass the long minutes she would experiment. So went the months of the painstakingly long and difficult process of grabbing a hold of the pulsing tendrils and pushing it faster or slower through her limbs and attempting to place a layer of energy over her skin. With varying degrees of success her chakra control improved.

Thus went the most of her early life. Sleeping and observing what she could as she frequently thought on her position.

Obviously this changed some things but what and how much remained to be seen. How much could she prevent without messing up the timeline? Kushina found herself coming to grow fond of her new parents, how could she not with them constantly caring and watching over her? So, yes Kushina felt for them. But from what she had read in the manga canon!Kushina's clan had been killed off but she wasn't sure if it was before or after she had been sent to Konoha with Mito. And even if that thought pained her that needed to happen no matter what, and she wasn't so sure she could prevent the die out from happening either way. Especially since things like that were already happening in other villages. There was a war going on after all.

She knew the future and frankly she didn't want to die. But what could she do? Not go to Konoha? Leave the country before Mito can find her? Then what about the Kyuubi?

Only an Uzumaki could hold the nine trails within themselves as per told by Kishimoto. And she couldn't let Mito die and Kurama free, that would probably kill her sooner than the canon events.

Then what else? Konoha was a big factor so she couldn't avoid going. Kushina had affected alot in her stay some of which that needed to be affected even more. She needed to learn what Mito could teach her because her family wouldn't be here forever. Maybe she could avoid what's inside of Konoha.

Canon!Kushina getting preggers with Naruto had let the seal weakening, Tobito unsealing Kurama and led to both of them dying in order to seal Kurama away. Leaving their child alone to emotional and though the manga never touched on it, physical hurt along with it.

So it was simple. Stay. Away. From. Namikaze.

Ugh, but he was a persistent kid by what was said about him. Not to mention she went to the academy with him. Maybe if she toned down hers and canon!Kushina's sarcastic and brash personality and stayed quiet could she avoid his interest? Hadn't her declaring him her rival been the start?

Geez, guess she wouldn't do that then. But no KushiMina pairing meant no protagonist. And what about Naruto? Without him how would the series go on? Maybe Minato could hook up with some other girl and have his protagonist child and she could find another Uzumaki to place Kurama in?

But who could she find? Karin? Nagato? Some other little Oc Uzumaki kid? Decisions, decision but whatever she chose Minato couldn't die. If he lived then so much that happened wouldnt have happened. Possibly no Uchiha massacre, no Orochimaru just getting away with shit, no Danzo, no asshole council. Life in Konoha wouldn't be so dark.

But she was faced with one problem, how was she going to do it? This was much too complicated.

Grimacing internally she pushed those thoughts aside. The way she was now it wouldn't matter if she had a plan or not, she had no defense against any of the threats she reflected on.

Kushina had been born into a clan with demonic vitality and a penchant for fuuinjutsu, she would use what she was being handed. Back in her old world she had been seriously fascinated with the versatility of fuuinjutsu and really wanted Naruto to take that path when Jiraiya had been teaching him during the Chuunin exams. So what better way to learn than from her clan.

Her parents were constantly on the war front before she even took her first step. Her mother was a seal master and her father a chakra powerhouse who could whip around canon!Kushina's chains like a pro. Though both of them were very much active they were stationed at different places.

Her mother was able to use fuuinjutsu in battle but they didn't want to lose any sealers so her father was on the field.

To fill up the space in between her free time she would get her mother begin religiously teaching her kanji though she could only receive instruction when she wasn't busy working and grafting her seals for the clan. Now let it be said she from her previous life studied Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji when she earned her majors and degrees in both Japanese and Chinese but the Japanese characters here were older and used a bit differently from the ones she was used too.

So immediately upon reaching the age of four where she could do more than reflect and look she had hobbled over to her mother who sat practicing her script and asked her what she was doing.

"Ah, so my little Shi-chan is interested in the family art is she?" Hisagi smiled setting down her brush as she turned her full attention to her daughter.

"Pretty squiggles okaa-san!" Kushina beamed playing her part as the young and impressionable child perfectly. Though her speech still carried the slurred hindrance most words if she concentrated came out clean.

Her mother laughed quietly, an amused look taking residence on her face. "These, honey, are not squiggles. They may look like them but these lines are what we call Kanji." She explained motioning her over to sit in her lap.

"And Kan-ji is used to make squiggles?" Kushina persisted, drawing out the word while leaning forward to get a better look at her mothers work. And what work it was. Even with her many degrees in the Japanese language she could only read some and sparse characters. She hadnt learned all of the characters only the ones she needed. Guess Naruto Japanese and modern Japanese use different combinations and century styling.

"Hm it could be Shi-kun, but mommy uses them to write."

Deciding to dig a little more she posed another innocent question. "Only to write? But mine don't look like yours." She hummed, flexing her tiny fingers in faux thought.

"Of course not, this writing has a purpose." Hisagi explained grasping onto her extended hands.

"What purpose mommy?" Shiki inquired, tilting her head back to meet her mother's plum eyes.

"That, little Shi-chan, is not something I can tell you."

Visibly deflating she turned around and pouted.

"But-it is something I can teach you." Her mother conceded after watching her sulk for a few moments more. "Your first lesson begins now, go pick up the brush." She instructed and quickly Kushina scrambled up and slid the writing utensil into her hands before looking back at her mother for confirmation.

"Before we can start we need to correct your writing posture. This will be your most important lesson, never forget it." Hisagi warned before she placed one hand on the small of her back, leading lightly. Straightening the slight slouch she had taken.

"Good, remember always to keep a straight spine. A confident scribe is a successful one." Kushina nodded.

"Now, relax your wrist but keep it firm. You need to be able to rotate your hand which ever way." Guiding her movements into position her mother moved to sit behind her.

"Second lesson we will be writing our name," Hisagi said, leaning forward so her own red tresses mingled with Kushina's. ",and I will tell you what each symbol when together means, understand?"

"Yes okaa-san." She affirmed, ready to test her own knowledge on the characters.

Watching as her mother guided her into shaping the first symbols to her name. Hisagi stopped guiding the brush after she had their entire last name painted on a spare piece of paper.

うずまき

It looked like a series of methodical lines, curves, and twists.

"You see this here? These symbols when separate don't mean much but when combined," Gripping her smaller hand she wrote out them put closer together. "This comes to mean whirlpool or spiral."

Okay so the meaning were mostly the same just had some older characters, slightly constructed differently.

"A spiral just like our clan symbol?"

"Yes Shi-chan, like our clan symbol."

"It looks pretty okaa-san!" Kushina grinned, running a finger over the now dry characters.

Her mother smiled softly. "Thank you Shi-chan, one day yours will be just as pretty."

"Really?" Kushina questioned, making sure to inject the right amount of wonder and skepticism.

"Yes I'm sure, you're are after all an Uzumaki and my child to boot." Hisagi giggled, tapping the tip of her nose.

The rest of the lesson had been spent with Kushina learning the absolute basics in their ancient but oddly advanced Japanese. By the time her father had walked through the door Kushina was covered in black ink. Her chubby little baby fingers made handling the utensils hard.

But Kushina deigned to learn and listen, regardless of fumbling with the brush in her less than dexterous fingers. She would make do.

Her father seeing what had been going on was eager to join in on the teaching fest and easily they had accommodated their lessons to fit. Thought her father was by no means a seals master he knew enough to give pointers.

The halfway point of a couple of months her parents decided it was time to explain the actual use of fuuinjutsu to let her make a single tag thought they never let her detonate it without under the microscope supervision. Which she not surprisingly got mixed up and nearly set something on fire.

Plenty of times Kushina would catch herself on the verge of writing the kanji for something explosive in the place of the extremely similar one for something none threatening like 'bind' her mother had taught her and resolved to set both styles apart in her head, least she accidentally create a nuclear type explosive tag by accident.

Like she had mentioned before while her mother was a fuuinjutsu master, her father was more battle oriented. The first time upon seeing his chakra chains catch a stray plate (which he destroyed) from falling off the counter she knew this was a technique she had to learn. Yes, she could feel her chakra and could manipulate it to a point but the skill her father and many of the Uzumaki had was going to be useful.

Her father had started her with some low level chakra exercises. Like sticking blades to grass to convenient and accessible places on her body. In example, Kushina was ordered to wear shorts and t-shirts outside and to cover as much of her body with the tiny green blades. And if one fell off you got rid of the left over ones and started over.

With her larger than normal coils and reserves it had tired her much more later on the road than she had anticipated it would for someone of her age. But she still got exhausted far more quickly than her parents.

In between her sessions her parents encouraged her to go out and talk to the other children around but Kushina steadfastedly refused. Most of the kids were years older than her or years much too young and the ones her age were still in the slobber about stage as she explained to them. Though she left out the much darker and leading reason for her refusal. What was the point of befriending a bunch of people who were going to die later? Kushina was already attached to her parents she wouldn't latch onto anyone else.

Which was why whenever someone did try to connect she threw up her antisocial walls. She was lucky the fighting kept most busy. Their go-to personalities and sunny disposition made it really hard to resist the invitations of friendship.

About a few months into her training both of her parents were called out to the front lines.

Kushina had been in the middle of a lesson when a ninja had busted in proclaimed both Miharu and Mizo Uzumaki out to the front.

Though her parents were grim face but determined Kushina was terrified and apprehensive.

Her mother was a sealer! They wouldn't call a fuuinjutsu master out to battle unless it was major.

Pretty soon the bloodline purge would take place and then all Uzumaki save a few others and her would be killed and she would go to the leaf. Canon!Kushina was approximately ten or eleven when she went to the leaf and she wasn't sure if she had been an orphan from the wipe out or from this.

Either way she would be missing her parents.

Sitting alone in the house was practically torture. It was quiet and nerve-wracking. She persisted in sleeping through most of the days when they weren't there. A friend of the family was asked to watch over her and this was the only time Kushina allowed herself to receive affection from her clan.

Kushina's heart practically burst from her chest when both of her parents slunk into the house. Albeit scuffed and cut up but alive.

For the first time in her re life Uzumaki Kushina cried her eyes out.

She was pretty sure it was the stress and lack of body heat that urged her to take up residence in her parents bed. Nothing more nothing less.

* * *

**I know, I know. But I actually had this made a while. I have other stories but I just wanted to get this out. This is not a top priority story. I will revise this and even update but it might take some time. Thanks.**


	2. AN Notice: IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!

**Notice:**

**I am very happy that people are interested in this story. I had thought people wouldn't really like it and this has been on the back burner of my mind since A Different Cloud In The Sky. I do plan to add this to my 'update pronto' list if that is what you all want. But I have to write out how to connect the scenes I have planned and a possible beta would be nice. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Thank you for reading this story.**


	3. BFF's

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Kushina was in the middle of practicing her kanji when her parents had brought two friends and their child over. A child who they had told to go play with her. Now let it be said that Kushina didn't want any company, especially not possible company she could form bonds with so like any seemingly anti-social child she promptly turned back to her work. Focusing rather determinedly on her lines and boxes she completely ignored the little red headed girl who had plopped herself directly across from her and stared wide eyed at her.

"Hi!" The girl chirped causing Kushina to create a jagged line on her paper. Looking vacantly at the stray line Kushina looked at all the finished work it had messed up and she suppressed a twitch.

Refusing to look up Kushina resumed her kanji but this time on a separate sheet of paper. She wouldnt say she was bitter about having to start over but Kami damnit, she had worked hard on that!

"My name is Michiko what's yours?" The girl asked, voice cheerful and curious. Oblivious to Kushina's internally struggle not to write the seal for 'quiet' on her forehead.

Kushina dutifully kept her head down and her brush inked. She would not give in and talk to her. She would not give in and talk to her.

"My parents told me that you're named Kushina and I should call you Kushina-hime since you're the daughter of the new head of the clan." Michiko rambled on and on. Continuously. And _rapidly_. Dear sweet ramen, it was so fast.

Gritting her teeth Kushina had decided she had enough, screw ignoring her! The little brat couldn't catch a clue if it smacked her in her flapping mouth! Throwing down her paint brush and pushing herself out of her seat, she erupted.

"Go away you stupid little girl! And stop talking, you're making me mess up!" She shouted, as Michiko's face immediately faulted, twisted, then reddened in anger. A familiar anger she saw reflected in many Uzumaki, including herself.

"DON'T YOU CALL ME STUPID! YOU-" Michiko trailed off, fishing for a insult. "-YOU _POOPIE_ FACE!" The other girl shouted and if Kushina wasn't so in the moment or not feeling the stress of trying to remain unattached she would have realized that she was an adult in a child's body and such juvenile insults couldn't faze her. That it was idiotic to get riled up because a fellow four year old saw it fit to call her a bowel movement.

But she was feeling the stress and she was engrossed in the moment and with a screech of anger she propelled herself over the table and tackled to other girl down. Ink and paper splattered over them and the floor.

Their fight employed none of the meager and extremely basic ninja skills they had learned, not even chakra was brought into their hair pulling, nail scratching, biting debacle they had started.

The loud noises they were making had brought in the adults who had immediately separated the two grappling girls demanding to know what had gotten into them.

"She made me mess up my writing! I spent three whole days on that!" Kushina shouted pointing one stubby finger at the other, a pinched and angry frown on her round face as her chest heaved up and down.

"I didn't mean to!" Michiko cried before flinging a hand at the simmering red head. "But maybe if she wasn't such a poopie head-"

"I AM NOT!" Kushina screeched.

"-then maybe I would feel sorry." Michiko sniffed, crossing her arms and turning her face away.

Kushina, enraged at the snub, attempted to claw her smug flippant expression from her face but was soundly held back by her parents.

"Kushina, enough." Her father order and reluctantly she settled down. Catching sight of Michiko's gloating smile she quickly showed the girl her favorite vulgar gesture. Which both her mother and father caught.

Their parents didn't look pleased.

* * *

Braced in the corner in a seiza position Kushina held her hands out to the side as weights dangled from her wrists. Scowling deeply Kushina sent a venomous look at the girl sitting the same position on the opposite end of the room.

"This is all your fault." She grumbled, arms tired. "Now I have to get punished."

Michiko huffed angrily. "I'm here too!"

"Well I wish you weren't." Kushina shot, her tone snippy at best, cutting at worst.

"I wish I weren't either! You're a horrible best friend!" Michiko accused, eyes narrowed.

"Since when are we beat friends?" She demanded, looking at the other girl like she was insane. "I hit your face!"

"Well I hit yours, so we're even." Michiko declared, looking pleased with herself. A little too pleased for Kushina's comfort.

"Yeah well you hit the clan heiress I can have you thrown out of the clan!" Kushina taunted, still angry about the crimson bruise on her face.

Michiko whirled around, her short red hair flying. "You _can't_."

Kushina grinned smugly. "I _can_."

Abruptly she stood. "I won't let you!"

Kushina scoffed. "I'm gonna be the next leader. You don't have the authority to 'let' me do anything." Now standing herself she placed her hands on her hips and grinned.

"I win."

Just like before Michiko's face grew dark and her frame shook.

"You better not do it or I'll-I'll...I'LL TELL YOUR PARENTS!" She shouted and like any child who is faced with the prospect of being tattled on she felt a sliver of panic slide across her face.

Obviously Michiko caught it because suddenly she looked like the cat who ate the canary.

"Oh I'm gonna tell on you." She taunted, moving closer to the door.

"You _can't_!" Kushina growled.

"I _can_." Michiko said, throwing her earlier words back at her.

The moment her tiny fingers touch the handle to the door Kushina jetted forward and shoved the girl to the ground. Taking out her make shift fuuinjutsu pouch she quickly scribbled the kanji for 'lock' onto the door and clumsily pushed her chakra into it.

Ugh her chakra control was steadily getting worse as it grew. She'd need more practice.

Michiko jumped to her feet with a furious look on her face. "Let me go."

"No!"

"Let me go so I can tell on you!" She howled, face drawn tight.

"Well when you put it that way, it's still no!"

Michiko twitched. "If you won't let me go then I'll just leave myself."

Kushina smirked. "Go head." She offered, sweeping one head before her imperiously.

The other girl shot her a suspicious look before cautiously moving forward. But as she tried to tug it open it held.

"What in the-" Now rapidly trying to rip the sliding door open when she jumped back with a yelp.

"It shocked me!" She gasped, surprised before inspecting her startlingly red hand. Ouch.

"It uh, wasn't supposed to do that." Kushina coughed. "Sorry."

Michiko turned to face Kushina with a thunderous expression on her face.

"What did you do?"

She shrugged. "Keep you from telling on me?"

"I'm gonna scream."

Kushina tensed. "Don't." If her parents found out she used a seal for something like this they'll take away her kit.

"I'm gonna do it." Michiko threatened.

"Please?"

"I'm doing it."

And god did she do it. It was like a kunai to the ear. Cursing under her breathe Kushina slammed her head down over her mouth and on instinct offered her a deal she hoped she would take.

"If you shut up I'll be your friend!"

Almost instantly she quieted down before turning a skeptical look towards her.

"Bff's?" Came the muffled question and Kushina knew she would regret this.

"Bff's"

Michiko squealed and with a surprising amount of she broke out of Kushina's grip and hugged her till her rib cage creaked.

"Yay! I knew you'd be my bestie! All the other kids will be so jealous that you like me and not them!" She squealed and Kushina sighed in exhaustion.

"Sooo jealous." Kushina drawled, allowing the contact to prolong as long as she didn't alert her parents-

"Girls what's going on-is that a seal on this door?"

Kushina gulped and turned an accusing glare onto the sheepish looking Michiko.

"Some bff you are." She muttered turning terrified eyes toward the now open entrance and disapproving parents.

"I can explain?" Yep, she was so screwed.

* * *

**So she has a friend! As grudgingly as it is. I hope Kushina is as close to how canon!Kushina is without being canon. Kushina can use seals but not really effectively seeing as how it shocked her kinda badly. Review it helps me update sooner and thanks to all the people who like this story.**


	4. Tests, Kanji, Challenge

Kushina stared long and hard at the cards that her mother had placed in front of her when she had arrived for her character session and found herself quite eager to test her knowledge. The set up was similar to many kindergarden games she used to play. On each face up side of the cards was a kanji symbol and on the back was the meaning. The task was easy, get them all right and her punishment was officially over with though if she got any wrong it would continue on. Which meant if she won she could finally begin training beyond simple stretches and mind games like she had been doing before. Like seriously she was so sure Michiko didn't get such a harsh punishment, in fact the girl had come to visit her once to see if she was free to play. Sadly enough she would have leapt at the chance to be go outside even if it meant playing with that girl. Desperation was a menace that didn't care about society or Kushina's sanity. Determined to win her freedom once and for all she nodded to her mother who sat off to the side of the table perched on some cushions.

"I'm ready kaa-chan." Kushina said, straightening her spine into a titanium column.

Her mother nodded at her and turned to Kushina's new tutor, Jan, who she had hired to teach her in their stead. Her parents had gotten progressively more busy over the few past weeks so they had little time to indulge her. Not that she had been learning any hands on things but still.

Facing forward she looked over the first card that was set before her. Luckily she knew this one.

**日**

"Sun." Kushina said and when she was rewarded with a 'correct' she had to resist the urge to first pump and instead settled with a clenched fist.

**力**

"Power."

**自**

"Oneself."

**合**

"Er-putting togeth-NO! Combining! To combine!" She corrected, realizing how close she was to messing up and blowing her chances. Oh, almost had her mother you sly devil you. Fiddling with her yukata's hem she let out an even breath and moved onto the next one.

**人**

Now this one was tricky. This kanji had a near look-alike double that meant something different. Steeling herself she stared long and hard at the slip of paper before hesitantly giving her answer.

"Person?"

"Correct."

**入**

Ah, this was the defective clone kanji she had almost confused the previous one with. Since there was no other similar option she was confident.

"Enter."

"Correct."

Kushina grinned, happy at her success. Thank Kami she had an eye for detail. A part of her was angry for having studied BOTH Chinese and Japanese and only having known little about the characters used in the sealing arts until she realized something very important. In her old world she didn't need to learn these out dated and irrelevant letters. In her old world no one but kanji specialists knew these because back over there it was unnecessary. People didn't use them in books, signs, or media so she hadn't needed them to pass her classes. But here she had to learn the older kanji she didn't used to need to get by and still combine her more modern knowledge to her fuuinjutsu. Wouldn't that be a challenge?

Leaning closer to the table she looked at the next card and blanched. There were two cards on the table this time. Upside down.

Looking up at Jan in confusion Kushina scrunched her nose.

"Choose with character means what."

Reaching out slowly Kushina flipped it over.

綱

"Oh that's easy." She sighed with a grin. And here she thought there would be a challenge. It meant rope.

"Don't be so hasty Kushina-hime," Jan rebuked with a disapproving frown. "look at the other first before making a decision."

She did as she was told and her mouth fell open.

網

It. Was. So. Similar.

Sweating a bit she peaked at her mother and gasped at the dark look of satisfaction plastered on her usually amicable face. Did she want her to fail or something? Nevermind scratch that, she probably did.

Whipping back around she looked at both cards with a groan. She knew one meant rope and the other net. But they were so alike that she sadly couldn't pick which one and be sure. A rope could create a net and a net was just a rope. Gah! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Nervously biting the tip of her tongue Kushina loathed to admit she was caught between a rock and a very hard place.

"Tick tock Shina-chan, hurry up and make your choice." Her mother smiled, honeyed voice dripping with a venomed tone. "We don't have all day."

Hadn't she suffered enough this past month? Must she torture her so? And she fancied herself her mother.

Swallowing her trepidation with a pinched expression she lifted one deadened feeling, trembling hand and pointed at the second card. It was no or never.

"R-rope?" She whispered, her free hand clenched over her knee and she swore the whole village could hear her frantic heart beat.

There was a slight pause before her mother hummed.

"Incorrect."

Jan flipped over the cards and revealed the blank back before she sent a burst of chakra to the paper. With a cloud of smoke the answers were revealed. The first was rope the second was net. She had it right the first time.

"So you haven't won your way off of punishment. Perhaps you'll do better next time."

Letting her hair create a crimson wall that shadowed her face her shoulders shook with a contained force.

Jan seeing this set a soft hand on her shoulder, trying to provide comfort to the seemingly devastated child.

"You don't need to be upset Kushina-hime, it was a difficult symbol. Even I have trouble with it."

Muffled words drifted from behind the curtain of her hair.

Jan's brow puckered. "Kushina-hime?"

"It's not that." She said, louder this time so that her teacher could hear her with straining her ears. "That's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

The red haired heiress bolted upright with an indignant expression on her round face. "That I let that a few different stupid little brush strokes that I couldn't remember keep me from winning!"

Jan, the poor dear, looked confused. "K-Kushina-hime?"

"Look!" She pointed, index fingers placed on the middle of each kanji. Where they both took on new meanings.

"This is what makes rope, _rope_, and this net, _net_!" She explained. "I hesitated when you showed me the other one and doubt my right choice. Now imagine that being the difference between _'bomb'_ and _'barrier'_, I could ruin an entire seal array or kill someone I was trying to protect and that-" She crushed the two cards in her hands. "-is the problem."

Turning to her mother Kushina bowed formally in respect before rising to her full but unimpressive height, placed a hand on her cocked hip and pointed one hand imperiously at her mother.

"Next time I'll get every one of them right!" She declared with a confident grin. "Just watch me, then you'll have to stop punishing me!"

Her mother looked amused at her vehemence and flashed a matching grin. "See that you do Shina-kun." Gesturing for Jan to follow her, they swept from the room. "I'll leave you to study my character book then if you'll have a fairer chance of winning."

Oh no she did not just try to give her a handicap. Gritting her teeth Kushina narrowed her eyes. Oh, it was on.

"I'll do you one better! I won't leave this room until I have that whole book memorized and down packed!" Kushina promised stoutly.

"Kushina-hime!" Jan gasped, surprised that she would go so far. "That book is over 300 pages long how could you possibly-"

"Are you sure you could handle such a high level book?" Her mother teased interrupting a still shell shocked Jan, an eyebrow raised.

"I'll do it!"

"Then you'd better get started, it's a big tome."

Kushina's frame swelled with confidence.

"I definitely won't quit until I reach the end!" She vowed. "I swear!"

**Five hours later**

Kushina oh so desperately wanted to quit. More than anything. But oh wait, she couldn't because she challenged her mother, a fuuinjutsu master, to a kanji learning contest. Yeah, she couldn't believe it herself.

Her and her stupid, impulsive big mouth. Always running itself and getting her stuck in situations like this! Clutching the book she stared down at the page with a dark scowl and reddening face.

"Who even invented this kanji!" Kushina shouted, tugging at her hair in frustration. "What would I even use a kanji like 'discombobulate' for dattebane?!"

As soon as the blasted quirky word left her lips Kushina slammed her tiny palms over her mouth and stared wide eyed at the tips of her fingers peeking over the bridge of her nose.

"W-what the hell was that datteba-" She rushed to muffle the rest before it could escape. Oh Kami, please no! It couldn't be! Willing herself to settle down she took a calming breath before opening her mouth.

"I-it's not really there." She said lowly eyes darting around, laughing hollowly. "I didn't just tack that ridiculous forbidden word onto my sentences. Nope of course I didn't dattebane."

A silence drifted over Kushina as her skin took on a washed out parlor. Oh Kami it was here.

Kushina surged to her feet her head shaking in firmly, whether it was in denial or refusal she didn't know. No no no! It was only cute when she wasn't Kushina! It didn't even have a meaning! It was like a stutter but had no rhythm or reason! Just appeared when she was emotional!

Clutching her hair again she tugged and tilted her head towards the ceiling.

"Ugh, really?" She ranted with a growl. "Right now is when you decide to pop up and make my life horrible? Who do you think you are sounding so cute and ugly at the same time dattebane?"

This went on for a while until the sound of wooden doors being opened drew her away from her thoughts.

"I have brought you're dinner Kushina-hime." Jan smiled, setting the steaming tray of rice, soap, and meats on the table.

Kushina's eyes narrowed in calculation. Her mother never said she had to learn the book by herself now did she?

Falling forward into a dogeza in full flourish-with her forehead on the floor and everything- she pleaded her case.

"Jan-sensei will you please help me with that accursed book?" Kushina made sure to inject equal parts pity party and reverence.

"I-if you knew you would just need help then why would you take it upon yourself to do this?" Jan questioned, looking at Kushina from behind her glasses.

"I'm the clan heiress I need to be able to tell the differences between kanji. I can't use fuuinjutsu to protect my family if I don't know the characters." Leveling a hard stare on Jan Kushina asked one more time. "So will you help me?"

Sighing her fellow Uzumaki reached over and picked up the book.

"You might as well eat and get comfortable, we'll be here for a while."

"Hai Jan-sensei!"

* * *

**Sorry for not updating this sooner but planning this is hard! So Kushina got herself into a pickle and enlisted Jan to help her out and though I'm not satisfied with this chapter I hope you like it! Review! Also sorry if I messed up any Kanji.**


	5. Tests and Training

Kushina beamed brightly looking positively pleased with herself. A slick grin stretched across her round face as she shared a side glance with Jan. Set down in front of her were over 300 cards, all splayed out side by side. Turning a slightly smug grin towards her mother's shocked face she couldn't resist one more jab. Honestly though, her mom had it coming.

"So, all correct then?" Heh, they had better be. After three whole stinking months of camping out in this room, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, having a basin brought in to wash up, and futons galore, she would have exploded if it was anything less. So she was a bit of an perfectionist, sue her.

Shaking off her flabbergasted expression her mother chuckled lowly and ran a slim fingered hand through her daughter's hair. "Of course you memorized them all. You have two plus advantages. You're my daughter and not to mention an Uzumaki born through and through."

Damn straight, she was twice the awesome. "So...am I off the hook?" Kushina questioned with a hopeful expression on her face, brow quirked. Her mother had promised.

Her mother sighed in defeat but there was an undeniably proud tinge to her voice when she spoke. "Well I can't exactly go back on my word now can I?" She questioned.

"And I can assure you that Kushina-hime did her utmost best to study." Jan insured offering her support to her student like the loyal teacher she was, spine straight and eyes alight with profound accomplishment.

"Did she now?" Her mother mused with a faux weary sigh. "Then I guess she's a free woman now. You're officially off the curved hook."

The effect was immediate and loud as per her. "YEAH, DATTEBANE! I TOLD YOU I COULD DO IT!" She shouted flying up from her seat, cringing at that blasted word hoping nobody had caught it. But by the amused sparkle of her mother's smile it hadn't gone unnoticed. Curse that woman and her attentiveness!

"I see you developed your father's speech quirk." She grinned reaching forward to pinch at her rounded cheek in that slightly painful way all women do to small children.

"N-no I didn't!" Kushina laughed nervously squirming away from the touch, eyes shifting to the side. Until she was dead she'd deny deny deny. "Kaa-san you're obviously hearing things because I definitely didn't hear a quirk, datteban-dang it!"

Her mother let out a tinkling laugh. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, infact yours is just a mispronunciation away from being Mizo's." She explained.

Now Kushina was curious, she had never heard her father say anything close to her patented 'dattebane' and on her mental checklist she resolved to hear him say someday in the near future.

"How did he say it?" She asked with a conspiratorial like whisper as if her father would jump out of the shadows and forbid her from ever knowing but from how she always reacted she would bet it wasn't that far from the truth.

Hisagi taped her chin in thought. "I believe it went something like 'dattebe', but I can't be sure unless I hear it again."

Kushina grinned wickedly. "Aw that is too cute." She cooed. "It's way better then mine."

"It's a matter of opinion." Hisagi said rising out of her chair. "Now that you're off punishment I trust you want your lessons to start up again?"

Kushina nodded. Of course she did.

"Then meet me tomorrow outside in the training yard."

"Hai okaa-san!"

Turning back to Jan as soon as her mother left the room she gave the red headed woman a tight bone cracking hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She sang as Jan shakily patted her back. Pulling away she flashed diamond like eyes at her tutor.

"I definitely would have failed without your help 'ttebane!" Kushina grinned. "You and your awesome fuuinjutsu skills really saved my neck. I don't think I could have lasted any longer."

Jan smiled. "Oh I'm sure a stubborn girl you definitely could have pulled it off even if you had to live out the rest of your life in this room." She remarked, pulling them both up to a stand.

"Now, why don't we go get you a shower, some home cooked food, and some freedom huh?" Jan suggested. "I can only imagine how much you crave all three."

"Not exactly in that order yeah?"

"No."

"Great cuz I want some freedom first."

* * *

When Kushina awoke the next morning it had been to the sight of her mother poised above her resting body and like any other sane person who opens their eyes to see figure looming overhead she flipped out.

Issuing a sharp yelp she kicked outward and froze when slim fingers curled around her ankle. Now dangling upside down in the air facing away from her mother she arched her back and let her hands grab hold on mothers forearm. Completing her upside down bridge she stared groggily at her Cheshire cat grinning mom.

"I see you haven't lost your flexibility while you were idle so you must have been practicing in that room." Hisagi commented with approval. "Good, so we won't have to focus on rehabilitating you."

Still shrouded by the cover of sleep Kushina was a bit to slow on the uptake. "Kaa-san...W-what are you doing in my room? H-how long were you standing there?"

Brushing aside her bleary questions her mother dropped her back down on the mattress with a small bounce.

"Go get ready," Her mother instructed pointing to the pile of training clothes right next to her face then to the bathroom. And for the first time she noticed the ninja pants and mesh shirt her mother wore. "We have alot to do today so chop chop and hop to it."

Grumbling under her breathe she picked up the clothes and trudged to the bathroom, all the while her venomous tired gaze clashing with her mother's laughing one.

"Hey, hey! Don't you laser glare me. You were the one who wanted to learn." The lady of the clan grinned. "So no more pouting or I'll run you ragged, straight into the ground...Well more than I already was so I guess it would be into the core of the earth." She burst into gleeful cackles at the prospect and Kushina shivered.

Shooting one last narrow eyed look at her mother she slammed the door behind her and her angry mutterings could be heard through the door over the sound of the rushing water.

"..._pouting she says_..._train you she says_..._well it's too early I say_..."

Back in the main room Hisagi's grin turned razor.

"Into the core of the earth it is then."

* * *

**So here it is! Kushina finished the challenge with good old fashioned studying! I want to thank all the people who have read this. Please review it's motivation. Please excuse any errors.**


	6. Chakra and Inner Thoughts

**This stuff** - Inner persona thoughts.

_This stuff _- Outer thoughts to inner persona.

**Disclaimer: Did I have one of these yet? No? Well here it is. I don't own.**

* * *

Kushina was tense, it seemed like every muscle in her body was pulled taunt and hit repeatedly with a metal baton. Exhaling with effort she struggled to stay still and complete her training quota for today.

"And I want you to keep this position for as long as you possibly can." Her mother instructed as Kushina held her horse stance on the fragile looking wooden plank balanced on a thin but tall breezeblock.

Tied to her wrists and balancing in her palm were, believe it or not, bowls of steaming, boiling hot ramen. Yes she knew, how freaking cliche, an Uzumaki having ramen. Well how about you trying laughing at it while the burn-your-skin-off-broth was balanced in your teetering hands? She could tell you from experience, it burned like acid. Not to mention her mother did not appreciate the waste of food.

Like. At. All.

And on top of that she had been standing here for two hours. Two. Hours!

It was final. Her mother was torturing her.

"You're fast, agile, and possess a strength monstrous for a child but standard for an Uzumaki." Her mother explained as she wobbled nervously in her position. "But what good is all that if you cannot balance long enough to complete an attack."

"No good." She pushed out, knowing her mother wanted an answer.

"Exactly. I noticed throughout the katas you would stumble and trip when it called for you to keep still in a precautious position, so tada!" Her mother sung, arms stretched out like she was presenting a game show prize. "Here's my idea to fix it."

"And what a great idea it is." Kushina muttered, hissing as the liquid from the bowl sloshed onto her forearm.

"It is isn't it?" Hisagi grinned, completely ignoring her sarcasm. "Well I'll be back in an hour so keep up the good work!" In a whirl of leaves and red she was gone leaving her daughter alone to get scalded.

Standing there on her perch Kushina could feel her muscles scream at her from the previous exercises and she wanted nothing more than to scream back.

Ugh. Couldn't her mother have found something else besides ramen to place in her hands? Kushina didn't want to be sporting third degree burns because of this.

Sighing she kept up her required position, she didn't know how long she remained still but she did recognize the moment trouble came to interrupt her.

And all it took, was a gentle gust of wind.

Kushina didn't exactly see what the wind blew at her nor did she feel it but when that foreboding tightening of her chest and the twitching of her nose started she understood what was happening.

She had to sneeze.

"Achoo!" That cliche sound burned through her nasal passages and made her eyes water.

And honestly she tried so hard to hold it in. You know the techniques, holding her breathe, shutting your eyes, and praying to every god you believe in. But sadly that wasn't enough this time, you know how that story went. Her entire body shook and jerked at the contained force.

Like her body she could feel her concentration waver and being the impulsive idiot she was, Kushina tried to stick her feet to the board and the bowls to her palms.

Big mistake.

In a split second the wood beneath her feet splintered from the pressure of her chakra and the bowls cracked.

With a crash everything landed. She hadn't dropped the bowls. She had made them explode. She was lucky she had blasted the broth away from her and it didn't land on her skin. Burns and failure, not a good combination.

Huddling on the ground cradling her pained bloodied hands and feet did Kushina stare wide eyed up at her mother. Who, in turn, stared wide eyed at her in disappointment and worry.

"I have some good news." Kushina started with a nervous titter, attempting to alleviate the tense mood. "I only made them blow up, heh heh."

With a bop to her head Hisagi bended down to tend to her wounds, soundlessly picking out the wood and ceramic glass with precise fingers holding tweezers and a first aid kit she had Shunsin'd to get. Kushina, not one liking to see herself bleed, turned away.

Cuts free of any foreign objects she cleaned them out ignoring any flinches from her daughter. Placing one glowing hand over the soles of her feet and hands her mother the iryou-nin sealed up the puncture wounds.

"Where did you learn that?" Kushina asked curious, this was the first time she had seen her mother use something like this.

Hisagi's eyes flashed to meet hers. "I wouldn't be worth my salt if I did now basic aid."

Wrapping bandages around her appendages her mother stood, concerned gaze warping to a much sterner one.

"If you can't do something or you think you'll mess up, don't just forge on blindly. Ask for help." Her mother rebuked, scowling gently. "If you would have called I would have answered. I'm here for a reason."

Kushina bowed her head shame faced. "I'm sorry kaa-chan." She muttered, shuffling slightly.

"Not yet you aren't!" The red headed woman said cheerfully and in a disposition of air Kushina found herself standing before a large tree. Staring up at the giant plant she blinked uncomprehendingly. "You are now healed and you wasted two bowls of our finest ramen."

"But that wasn't-"

"Climb this tree before sun down, which in case you didn't know is three hours away, or I'll terminate your training until I deem you ready." And with a poof she was alone. Again. With an impossible task.

"Goddamnit!"

Glaring at the tree Kushina tried to recall all she knew about tree walking.

This training involves focusing a fixed amount of chakra to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands. If the stream of chakra is too weak, the user will lose their footing on the tree and fall off. If it is too strong, the user will be pushed away from the tree, causing the tree to break around the point of contact and the user will fall.

Nodding she gave a determined grin and ran at the tree, already gathering chakra.

Running up the bark it wasn't long before she was launched through the air.

"Dang!" She shouted, falling back into a flip landing heavily on the balls of her feet. Looking at the crater like hole graced the front of the tree she let her head drop.

"Same thing as Naruto." She grumbled. "Of course."

Trying to thin down the amount of chakra she was sending didn't help, as the many indents in the tree told her. This was making her frustrated and a frustrated Kushina was a desperate one.

"Why can't this just be easy!" She hissed, racing back up the tree, this time making it ten steps before she was forcibly ejected.

Stifling the urge to scream, she took a deep breathe and thought back to how Naruto solved his problem.

"He asked Sakura for help," Kushina mused. "And what did our favorite cherry blossom say?"

Thinking back to the wave arc she closed her eyes.

She said it was about concentration yeah? Feeling and drawing her chakra to the correct places?

Making the standard jutsu hand position she focused inward.

Her chakra was vast. Not necessarily vast as in huge-though it was big-but it just felt...vastly. Picturing her center she used her mental hands to draw her chakra away and at first it was going good. It seemed to flow with her an bend to her command but as she drew it farther away it seemed to stretch taunt and snap back to her chakra center and out of her grip.

Eyes snapping open in surprise Kushina stared down at her stomach in confusion.

"What even?" Trying again, but this time a little harder it happened again but this time faster.

Stomping her foot (she didn't care how immature it was, it made her seem, it helped) she tried and tried and tried. And by the time she gave up she was sure her face was red with anger if the burning was any indication.

Everytime she tried to gasp a tendril a torrent came rushing towards her and everytime she tried to gasp a torrent only a fizzle would pop.

Kushina stared at her hands in disbelief. Her previously good control was shot. Not once had Kushina practiced her chakra manipulation, fighting katas and flexibility sure. But only because repetitive physical action helps her concentrate better than anything else. It wasn't that meditation wasn't a means of concentration but she used it in different situation, in fact she was great at it! The only problem was that her chakra at the time had to take a back seat in her priorities and now she was paying the price.

"This isn't even fair." She hissed, eyes stinging, she dropped down to the ground with her arms crossed.

She was done. How could she continue this? Her mother was crazy, her chakra control was awful now, and she was going to fail expectations. It was final. She was going to lose her teacher. If her mother wouldn't teach her she'd go to her dad or Jan, she didn't need this anyways.

**Geez**!** Giving up so easy? I thought** **we were better than that 'ttabane!**

The internal thought, so very similar yet different from her own, made her pause.

"W-what?" She stuttered, shoulders hunching defensively.

**You heard me baka! Stop whining and get to it already! We're Uzumaki, known for their resilience, act like it 'ttabane!**

Glancing up at her towering opponent she yanked at her hair suddenly seething at the voice for thinking this was a walk in the park. Kami, she was mad at the voice in her head, the stress must really be getting to her.

_Look, it's not that easy-_

**Not that easy our ass! Get it in gear and try! Don't just sit there with that pitiful freaking look our face! Get. Up!**

Trying not feel like she had gotten scolded Kushina felt the negative emotion melt out of her at the feeling of determination filtering through her. She blinked and sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'll climb the stupid tree, I guess I've been behaving disgracefully, huh?" Kushina asked. "If I could memorize those seals then I can do this."

She got the impression of a grin.

**Ganbatte! That's more like it!**

Abruptly her face faulted. "It's too bad Jan isn't here, I could have used her guidance." Something clicked and she recalled her mother's words.

"Her guidance? So all I need to do is ask her?" She mused before squaring her shoulders and pushed her pride to the back of her mind. "Then ask I will."

Assembling herself into a formal seiza Kushina faced the main family complex in the distance and called for her mother.

"Kaa-cha-" Clearing her throat Kushina decided on a more formal title. "Kaa-sama!"

With a swirl of green and red her mother appeared before her with a raised brow.

"Yes musume?"

Placing her hands in front of her she bowed her head to the ground.

"Will you please help me with my chakra control?" She pleaded, eyes screwed shut. "I can't climb the tree without it."

For a moment she stayed silent. "Do you accept the punishment that comes with failure?"

Kushina froze and bit her lips. It was now or never.

"Yes kaa-sama."

"Great then!" Her mother chirped, going from grave to pleased in a split second.

Sitting up Kushina's brow furrowed. "What?"

"The first lesson I wanted to teach you was to ask for help when you need it." Her mother explained walking forward. "How else would I have gotten that through your thick skull without a lesson, you stubborn girl?"

Bending down she patted her head. "I think it suffices to say that I'm proud of you Shina-chan."

"Now why don't we got get you cleaned up and feed, I know today was just exhausting for you."

* * *

Sliding open her bedroom door Kushina sighed and made her way over to her beckoning bed.

"At least tomorrow she'll help me with my control." She said pulling the covers into a cocoon around her. "Let's hope there's no ramen involved this time."

When Kushina finally began to drift off into unconsciousness did it occur to her what had happened earlier during training.

Bolting straight upright she gasped. "HOLY SHIT I HAVE AN INNER!"

* * *

**Dun dun dunnn! So Kushina was an 'inner'. I have plans for that. I wonder if you guys can guess what (or who) exactly that is. Annnd I probably just gave it away. But whatever. So review and I thank everyone for reading this story. Excuse any errors please because this chapter gave me alot of trouble honestly.**


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